On Monday, a district court in California turned down Apple’s plea to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing the tech giant of breaching competition laws. The lawsuit claims that Apple compels users to back up essential files and device settings exclusively on its cloud service, iCloud.
The legal complaint goes further, alleging that Apple restricts third-party cloud services from accessing certain files and hinders them from providing a comprehensive storage solution that could rival iCloud.
U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee had earlier thrown out the case, stating that the plaintiffs had not clearly articulated their claims. However, after the plaintiffs submitted a revised complaint earlier this year, the judge deemed their new arguments compelling enough to reject Apple’s dismissal request.
The plaintiffs assert that Apple monopolizes the cloud storage market for iPhones, dominating both revenue and user counts.
To provide some background, while Apple allows users to back up items like photos and documents to any cloud service they prefer, it blocks them from backing up crucial device data or restoring it through these alternatives.
In its motion to dismiss the case, Apple defended its policy of restricting third-party apps from accessing vital data such as app information and device settings. The company emphasized security as the primary reason behind this decision.
“That design decision was and always has been a feature grounded in security and privacy considerations, given the sensitivity of the data required to restore one’s Apple device,” the company wrote.
Apple did not immediately return a request for comment.
